Never Nosh a Matzo Ball    by Sharon Kahn Order:  USA  Can Prime Crime, 2002 (2000) Hardcover, Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Sharon Kahn has done it again. Her first rabbi's widow Ruby mystery, Fax Me a Bagel, was a blast, as is Never Nosh a Matzo Ball. The titles alone made me reach for the books. The clever prose made me read them. This time, the driving – and aggravating – force behind temple, Essie Sue, has decided that the temple needs to raise money and to do that she came up with the idea of diet matzo balls! She finds a rural fitness ranch that will package them for her with dry ice – and therein lies the problem. An instructor at Essie Sue's fitness spa is found dead and Ruby is off and, er, detecting again. Ruby is an absolute delight, going where angels fear to tread. She is her own woman, determined not to be paired off with the new rabbi (I wouldn't want him either). A newly made partner in a local bagel store, Ruby has a friend in email world with whom she converses via the web. This is a great ploy to explain just what is happening without writing chapter after chapter just to place one clue after the other. I'm looking forward to Ruby's ozone friend passing the bar. The author's wry humor is evident from the first page to the last and carries the story along as much as the plot line. All in all, Never Nosh a Matzo Ball is a quick, easy read when you're in need of a lift. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews